Middle Ages lives again among the walls of the 22 [*] castles of the Association Castelli del Ducato di Parma e Piacenza

The most beautiful and precious treasures of the Ducky of Parma and Piacenza hide among the woods and the vineyards.
To reach them you have only to follow the sweet sea breeze that penetrates the hills in this fertile patch of the Po valley and to go with the continuous winding ups and downs.
Here, among the wheat fields and the bright green woods, it is exciting to find these jewels with their majestic walls and glorious past.
The 22 Castles of the Associazione Castelli del Ducato di Parma e Piacenza (12 of Parma and 10 of Piacenza) are all open to visitors (sometimes you can also stay there) for a time travel in the fascinating Middle Ages.
Starting from the Piacenza area, on the ridge between the valleys of the Ongina and Stirone streams, you meet the perfectly preserved Borgo di Vigoleno [22]: the castle has imposing walls with Ghibelline merlons and belonged to some important families and to the Duchess Maria Ruspoli of Gramon.
The Visconti Fortress of Castell’Arquato [15], due to the Luchino Visconti (14th century), towers above the whole Val d’Arda.
At Agazzano [13] there is an original marriage between the stronghold and the castle, the first one a 13th century severe military building and the second one converted into an elegant aristocratic residence at the end of ‘700.
In Val Tidone there is the Olgisio Fortress [18] a stronghold with a cinquecento loggia where you could spend the night; from here you could drive to Bobbio in Val Trebbia, with the Malaspina Dal Verme Castle [14]and its impressive walls.
The Gropparello Castle [17], dating back to 7th century, is surrounded by a luxuriant wood where is the Parco delle Fiabe (the Fairy Tales Park), the first Emotional Park in Italy.
The charm of these places is so strong that even the most noble families as the British royal family love to stay at the Rivalta Castle [20].
In its rooms there is also the Uniform Museum and a hotel with 12 luxury rooms is situated in castle village.
Features of Italian and French gardens can be noted in the huge park of the Grazzano Visconti Castle [16] carried out at the beginning of ‘900 following the project by the duke Giuseppe Visconti di Modrone, with a labyrinth, a little house for the games, an oratory, a dovecote and the duke’s study.
The Paderna Castle [19], surrounded by a moat, can be reached through a drawbridge. Today the castle is the base of an organic farm with a garden rich of old cultivars and a teaching farm.
The last stop in the Piacenza area is at the San Pietro in Cerro Castle [21]: in its attic there is the “Museum in Motion”, a collection of 800 works (paintings, sculptures and drawings) by Italian and foreign contemporary artists, with a section only for the Piacenza painters.
From here you can reach the first stop in the Parma area, the towering Bardi Fortress [1], placed on a red jasper spur: today the former quarters house the Museo della Civiltà Valligiana.
A few kilometres away there is the Compiano Castle [3], stronghold of the Landi and then of the Farnese families; today it houses the Gambarotta collection, with objets d’art, furniture and ‘600 and ‘700 paintings, the permanent exhibition Masonic Horizons, a luxury hotel and a congress centre.
The tasty next stop is the Felino Castle [4]; in its vaults there is the Museum dedicated to the Salami. The old pomp and lavishness live again in the Colorno Palace [2] which imposing structure overlooks a garden recalling that of Versailles.
From a wonder to a marvel: the Sanvitale Fortress at Fontanellato [5], encircled by a moat, that in the interior shows one of the masterpieces of the Italian Mannerism, the small room painted by Parmigianino depicting the myth of Artemis and Actaeon. From the “Camera Ottica” it is possible to look around the village square, remaining completely hidden.
Splendid frescoed rooms welcome the visitors at Montechiarugiolo Castle [6], hunted by the Fairy Bema ghost, while it is certainly worth a visit the frescoes and the coats of arms of Roccabianca Castle [7], with the famous Room of Griselda with a modern reconstruction of the Quattrocento cycle inspired by the hundredth novel of the Boccaccio’s Decameron.
The Sanvitale Fortress at Sala Baganza [8], with its interior enriched by precious Cinquecento works, is at the foothills of the Apennines near the Baganza stream.
The Dei Rossi Fortress at San Secondo [9] equally boasts valuable paintings while a great landscape park surrounded by walls encircles the Fortress at Soragna [11], dwelling place of the Princes Meli Lupi.
A few kilometres from Salsomaggiore, in a suggestive medieval village, there is the Scipione Castle [10] built in 11th century by the Pallavicino marquises and still inhabited by this family; in the interior there are coffered ceilings, frescoes and original decorations.
The last jewel of our tour is the Torrechiara Castle [12] built by Pier Maria Rossi, a significant and well preserved example of Italian castle architecture; in the interior there is the famous Camera d’Oro (the Golden Room) attributed to Benedetto Bembo.

For the visitors who would like to know all the details, in all the Castles and the Fortresses of the Association there is a complete precious guide for sale.

[*] as of today's date, August 2018, the castles belonging to the circuit of the ASSOCIAZIONE CASTELLI DEL DUCATO DI PARMA E PIACENZA reach 32

For the shopping lovers a place not to be missed is the near Fidenza Village Outlet Shopping (PR), with all the big names in the world of fashion at a discount. The Card del Ducato holders (in addition to the reduced-rate tickets for the castles of the Association and other facilities), showing the card at the Tourist Office of the village, could obtain the One Day Card that offers further reductions in the shops adhering to the initiative.
The Card del Ducato is sold at 2 Euros at the castle ticket booths and is valid for 1 year from the issuing date.

For more info :
www.castellidelducato.it
with 22 32 castles in web and not only

ASSOCIAZIONE CASTELLI DEL DUCATO DI PARMA E PIACENZA
P.za Matteotti 1 - 43012 Fontanellato (PR)
tel 0521.823221 - 0521.823220 - fax 0521.822561
info@castellidelducato.it

Thanks to the Associazione Castelli del Ducato di Parma e Piacenza for the photographs and the text